Morales To Fight Again On December

   Former multi-division champion and Mexican legend Erik "El Terrible" Morales is really eager to get back on top as he is expected to return to the ring on December 18 against a yet to be determined opponent for the WBC Silver super lightweight title at the fighter's hometown, Tijuana, Mexico.

   This will be Morales's third fight since his return last March and a win against his opponent will make way for a title fight against the winner of Juan Manuel Marquez-Michael Katsidis bout.



(TheBloggerSays: Erik is really squeezing what's left on him. A true warrior indeed, with this kind of attitude, I think Erik will stay for a while.)

Marquez To Fight Katsidis On November; Hopkins Vs. Pascal On December

   After a failed negotiation to fight Manny Pacquiao for the third time, Mexican warrior and champion Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez agreed to fight the Australian slugger Michael "The Great" Katsidis on November 27 at MGM Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada.

   The bout will be for Marquez's WBO lightweight belt.

   Another champion, Jean Pascal, is also scheduled to fight a boxing warrior, former champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins. The bout will be on December 18. This will be Hopkins' second fight this year after defeating Roy Jones Jr. last April. This will be also Pascal's second fight this year after defeating Chad Dawson and successfully defended his WBC light heavy weight championship for the third time.



(TheBloggerSays: All-out war is what I am expecting for the Katsidis-Marquez bout. But Hopkins against Pascal? These promoters are really getting really bad for the sport. Why not Luciano Bute?)

Juan Manuel Marquez To Face Amir Khan On December?

   According to sources, Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez and British Amir Khan may face each other before the end of the year. Both under Golden Boy Promotions, the fight may fall on December 4, which the promotions has a reservation on cable network HBO PPV. Marquez  and his promotion team has ruled out a possible 3rd fight with Filipino Manny Pacquiao, who fights under Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions and will possibly face Mexican Antonio Margarito on November.

   Freddie Roach also trains Khan, the same trainer who handles Manny Pacquiao. Marquez just came off his 2nd fight with American Juan Diaz.



(TheBloggerSays: I don't know if this fight will pull that many fans as much like Diaz and Marquez did in their two bouts. For me, I think Amir still has lot to prove on the boxing grounds. A Ricky Hatton, in my opinion, will be a much better fit for the young Amir.)

With Margarito Denied, Golden Boy Offers Dinamita

   After Antonio Margarito got denied for a license in California, Golden Boy Promotions Founder Oscar De La Hoya quickly offered their fighter Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez as a replacement foe for Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13.

   "The case I want to make is that Marquez is right there, already licensed." De La Hoya said. "Manny Pacquiao wants to fight. The only one who does not want to fight is Bob Arum, and that's not fair. That is not fair to the public, and that is not fair to Manny Pacquiao. That is not fair to Marquez." he added.

   Marquez and Pacquiao fought to a controversial draw on 2004 then Filipino won a narrow split decision last March of 2008.



(TheBloggerSays: This will be of course, an entertaining match. This won't be what the fans always wanted to see, but won't be the least wanted. At least all issues will be settled.)

Marquez Beats Diaz Again, Looks For Pacquiao

   In a rematch of their war from February 2009, WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) again defeated former unified lightweight champion Juan Diaz (35-4, 17 KOs) on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. In another spirited give-and-take affair, Marquez had the upper hand almost from the get-go as he methodically battered Diaz, but couldn’t break him as the game Texan went the full twelve. Scores were 116-112, 118-110, 117-111 with Marquez taking a unanimous decision.

 “When he’s ready to knock on my door, I’m right here,” says lineal lightweight champion Juan Manual Marquez, of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. “There’s no hiding. No running. I’m waiting for him."

Source: http://www.fightnews.com/

Marquez-Diaz Head To Head

When: Saturday, July 31

Where: Las Vegas 

TV: HBO Pay-per-view, 6 p.m. PT / 9 pm. ET

Weight: Lightweight (135 pounds)

Title(s) at stake: Marquez’s RING magazine championship (and WBA and WBO titles)

Also on the card: Daniel Jacobs vs. Dmitry Pirog, 12 rounds, for vacant WBO middleweight title; Robert Guerrero vs. Joel Casamayor, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Sakio Bika vs. Jean Paul Mendy, 12 rounds, super middleweights; Jorge Linares vs. Rocky Juarez, 10 rounds, lightweights.


MARQUEZ

The essentials

Age: 36
Height / Reach: 5-7 (170cm) / 67 (170cm)
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Turned pro: 1993
Record: 50-5-1 (37 knockouts)
Trainer: Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain
The Ring rating: Lightweight world champion


Titles: IBF featherweight (2003-05; was stripped of title); WBA featherweight (2003-05; was stripped of title); WBO interim featherweight (2006; vacated to move up in weight); WBC super featherweight (2007-08; lost title to Manny Pacquiao); THE RING world lightweight title (2008-present).


Biggest victories: Marco Antonio Barrera, March 17, 2007, UD 12 (to win WBC super featherweight title); Joel Casamayor, Sept. 13, 2008, TKO 11 (to win THE RING world lightweight title); Juan Diaz, Feb. 28, 2009, TKO 9.


Worst losses / draw: Freddy Norwood, Sept. 11, 1999, UD 12 (for Norwood’s WBA featherweight title); Manny Pacquiao, May 8, 2004, draw 12; Chris John, March 4, 2006, UD 12 (for John’s WBA featherweight title); Pacquiao, March 15, 2008, SD 12 (lost junior lightweight title); Floyd Mayweather Jr., Sept. 19, 2009, UD 12.


DIAZ

The essentials

Age: 26
Height / reach: 5-6 (168cm) / 67 (170cm)
Stance: Orthodox
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Nickname: Baby Bull
Turned pro: 2000
Record: 35-3 (17 knockouts)
Trainer: Ronnie Shields 
The Ring rating: None

Titles: WBA lightweight (2004-08; lost it to Nate Campbell); WBO lightweight (2007-08; lost it to Campbell); IBF lightweight (2007-08; lost it to Campbell).


Biggest victories: Acelino Freitas, April 28, 2007, RTD 8 (for Freitas’s WBO lightweight title); Julio Diaz, Oct. 13, 2007, TKO 9 (for Diaz’s IBF lightweight title); Michael Katsidis, Sept. 6, 2008, SD 12; Paullie Malignaggi, Aug. 22, 2009, UD 12.


Losses: Nate Campbell, March 8, 2008, SD 12 (for his WBA, WBO, and IBF lightweight titles); Juan Manuel Marquez, Feb. 28, 2009, TKO 9; Paulie Malignaggi, Dec. 12, 2009, UD 12.

HEAD-TO-HEAD


Skills: No disrespect to Diaz but apart from Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ivan Calderon there are no better pure boxers in the sport right now who can execute as well as Marquez does. Even at 36, the Mexico City veteran is a textbook technician-counter puncher whose timing and accuracy make his combination punching a thing of beauty and brutality. Diaz, who exhibits a quick educated jab and decent lateral movement when he wants to, is an underrated boxer but he still takes a backseat to Marquez.


Edge: Marquez


Power: Neither fighter is defined by his power. Marquez is known as a technician. Diaz is a pressure fighter. However, the older man’s superior technique -- the proper leverage he gets on his punches and the correct manner in which he turns his shots over -- translates into superior power, especially when he puts his punches together. Marquez, a natural featherweight, was the first (and only) fighter to stop Joel Casamayor and Diaz, and he did so because of his excellent punching form. Diaz has scored some impressive stoppages too (Acelino Freitas and Julio Diaz stand out), but he did so with volume and pressure. He forced both vets to quit on their stool. He didn’t drop them or score clean knockouts. 


Edge: Marquez


Speed and athletic ability: Because of his pudgy appearance, Diaz is often written off as a mediocre athlete, a boxer who has excelled because of his work ethic. However, while he is a classic overachiever, he’s also a deceptively quick and agile fighter. His early title defenses against then-undefeated Jose Cotto (27-0) and ultra-rugged Fernando Angulo were not the result of relentless pressure, but rather fast combinations and nimble footwork backed by hair-trigger reflexes. Marquez has a better-looking physique but he’s not faster or necessarily more explosive than Diaz. 


Edge: Diaz


Defense: Diaz can be a defensive-minded boxer who stays on the outside of his opponent’s reach when he puts his mind to it as his split-decision over Michael Katsidis proved, however, his heart and youthful aggression often get the better of his common sense as his losses to Nate Campbell and Marquez illustrate. Marquez is not that hard to find with punches but he edges Diaz in this category because of his superior form and his ability to remain poised and stay within his gameplan. 


Edge: Marquez

Experience: Diaz has tremendous pro seasoning for a 26-year-old fighter but just about everyone save for Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley have to defer Marquez, a veteran of 56 pro bouts who has been world-class since 1997, in the experience department. Despite being blatantly avoided for much of his career, Marquez has faced 11 titleholders/champs. Diaz, who has faced seven titleholders, is no slouch but he’s not in Marquez’s league. 


Edge: Marquez


Chin: Marquez has been down (four times versus Pacquiao, once against Freddy Norwood, and once against Mayweather) but he’s never been stopped in more than 50 pro bouts. Diaz has been down against lesser fighters (much lesser), including Ubaldo Hernandez and Eleazar Contreras Jr. ‘Nuff said.


Edge: Marquez


Conditioning: Both fighters lead Spartan lifestyles, enjoy training hard in the gym and are extremely dedicated to the sport. Diaz has gone the 12-round distance eight times without stamina issues. Marquez has fought the 12-round distance 12 times in his hall-of-fame career and has never faded in the late rounds. 


Edge: Even


Wear and tear: The common thought is that Diaz is on the downside of his career because he’s 2-3 in his last five bouts. Some say his aggressive, full-tilt style has helped lead to early burnout, and these observers might be correct. However, that doesn’t mean that Diaz has more wear and tear than Marquez, a 17-year vet. Apart from his losses to Campbel and Marquez, Diaz hasn’t absorbed many beatings in his 10-year career. Marquez has been in some grueling contests late in his career, including his victory over Diaz. Because of the dramatic ending, many fans forget about the punishment the vet took over the first half of the bout. The hotly contested 24 rounds he went with Pacquiao, plus his bloody shootouts with the lesser-known likes of Terdsak Kokietgym (AKA Terdsak Jandaeng) and Jimrex Jaca, have to have taken a toll on his 36-year-old body. His recent welterweight venture with Mayweather didn’t do his body any favors, either. 


Edge: Diaz


Corner: Marquez’s longtime coach Nacho Beristain has been called Mexico’s greatest active trainer and is respected as one of the best in the world. His resume, which includes tenures with a dozen renown former titleholders, merits that distinction. However, Diaz’s trainer Ronnie Shields has trained and worked the corners of just as many notable fighters, many of whom are in the hall of fame (or will be). And Shields, who is quite a few years younger than Beristain, appears to be coming into his own as a trainer, while the veteran coach may have seen better days.


Edge: Even


Outcome: Both fighters will begin this rematch with the respect that was earned in their thrilling first bout. It won’t start fast but it won’t take long for it to heat up. Diaz will work behind his jab more consistently in this fight than he did last February and his lateral movement will limit their exchanges and Marquez’s ability to counter punch him, but by the middle rounds of the bout the veteran champion will begin to cut the ring off and land right hands over Diaz’s jab. The moment Diaz is rocked by one of Marquez’s well-timed right-hand bombs the boxing match will end and the fight will begin. As he did in the early rounds of the first bout, Diaz will find that he’s able to push Marquez back on his heels and land left hooks when he charges forward. Marquez will absorb punishment but he’ll keep his composure and fire back with uppercuts from both hands and hooks of his own. The two lightweights will trade power shots through the late rounds of the bout, but Marquez will land the harder and more accurate punches.


Prediction: Marquez by close unanimous decision.








Source: http://www.ringtv.com/














(The Blogger Says: I'm rooting for Juan Manuel. He's one of my favorites. Though he came from a loss and been out off action for almost a year, I know that his experience will be enough. And he's a very smart fighter. I now he learned a lot from their first fight. For me, it will be a lopsided win for Juan Manuel.)

Marquez - Diaz Rematch Announced

   The 2009 Fight of the Year will try to live up to it's reputation again this year as Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez will square up against Juan Diaz in a rematch for the WBO and WBA lightweight titles at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas on July 31.
    “A lot of people are saying this is a must-win fight for me,” said Diaz. “But I don’t see it that way. I see it as redemption. This fight has been in the back of my head and I’m going to pick up where I left off – the ninth round.”

   “There are two reasons to fight Juan Diaz again,” said Marquez. “Number one: He’s a great fighter deserves a rematch. No. 2: People want to see this kind of fight. Last year it was Fight of the Year. Maybe, now in 2010, it will be it again.”